BRUNO'S DIARY

Always wanted to know the latest!

You remember Bruno that we wrote about from earlier blogs. Rescued by Tammy and Deb. Castrated and sponsored by AWL, and fostering at Hospice Casa dell'Amore, and then adopted by James and Abbi.

Saving a life!

They are doing great! I got an e mail from Abbi (and I have met Bruno in between too) I want to share with you...a Bruno Longheart update;

I just wanted to drop a line in and say he is doing wonderful and I will be putting some pictures up on facebook shortly. I apologize it has taken me this long to let you know how he is doing but it has been a crazy week, but we are all adjusting wonderfully. Bruno is getting 3 walks a day, we also bring him to a friends house with a large fenced in yard every day and let him run and play with his brother (snout, he was a stray also) and our friends little puppy Holly. They all get along wonderfully and Bruno is so gentle and sweet with Holly. He is also a giant cuddler...he likes to curl up right next to (or sometimes on top) of us and watch movies. We are still working on being potty trained, but he has not has an accident in the house for 3 days now! We have also noticed that he loves to play fetch, he could run and chase a ball for hours! We are so lucky to have him and we are enjoying him everyday. He is such a happy dog.

This is Amore!

A GRANDE GRAZIE

A big smile and a thank you for all your help with donations.

You are making a difference!

Sara Hoover SE/USA

Erika Bobbi Athena Giove SE

Bella Appelblom SE
Karin Eriksson SE

Elisabeth Frey USA

Ulla Lindner SE

Thank you all who comes and volunteers at our Hospice Casa dell'Amore. Food donations is helping the animals in the shelter's from starving. YOU are making a difference. That's Amore

DELIVERING PLASTIC PALLETS TO A SHELTER

Last Friday I picked up plastic pallets from a warehouse and delivered them yesterday to a shelter. Thank you Bill for volunteering that morning, and also walking Fred. Olivia was walking one dog while Max was eating cookies.

It was heartbreaking walking around looking into these begging eyes. 130 dogs with different stories. A beautiful Husky puppy 4-5 months old doing everything to get our attention.

Look at the cage! Wouldn't you want to save an animal?

When you abandon a dog, this is the view the dog will have.


Someone said they wouldn't help Mia (AWL) since I (we) had enough. Look at these pictures and tell me if its assumption or fact!

Our former "volunteer" Lindy Bunn's favorite walking couple Ginger and Fred. Lindy asked from Germany how they were doing and to give them a walk and kiss. And we did!

Thank you for making a difference with good true facts and hard work. That's Amore!

BRILLIANT ARTIST

A fantastic and talented local artist, Rita E. Schneider, donated one of her outstanding paintings recently. I have been a big fan of hers for over one year, since I saw her art work for the first time. When invited to her home, I always needed to have the guts to ask if I could go in to her studio --- it was thrilling.

So when she sent me an email that she had a painting ready for the hospice, I was at her door in a minute. I was touched by her muse, her subject Julian, one of our wonderful rescue dogs that Rita also had fostered.

You can read about Julian on an earlier blog, the blind young dog who got to run with the other dogs through an apple plantation, and know love for a little time. Now he is running in the Garden of Eden, across the Rainbow Bridge.

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MINI MISSION AT THE HOSPICE

" Oh, when are they comming?"


"I think they are in here!"

Sweet Love!

This last Saturday we again had a mini mission at our hospice. Again, the Lynn Hunter family showed up and it was great to see that they brought with them friends from the Naples American High School Science Fiction Club. A lovely group of teenagers, ready to help.

Also from the food store on base came Bill; and my great couple Martina and Pio came to work, too. Patty is always there in the mornings, so she had made it clean and nice before we all entered at 10.00



Scooby and Phillipo got bathed, I think Phillipo enjoyed it more than Scooby-he is such a good boy. Think, Phillipo has been closed in a small cage for two years since they said he didn't like males-or not many dogs. Don't tell him that Scooby is a male! Phillipo has grown in my eyes --- I so admire him --- he has a great self esteem. I will sure miss these guys when they fly to Sweden the 11th. Phillipo's "mom" has been waiting for him for over one year.



Our new washing machine finally got all the parts to plug it in thanks to Pio. The blankets smell divine now!

We cleaned; walked Athena; practiced with Ms Maple to walk on a leash inside the house for over one hour (she did great); we loved up on everyone; and cleaned some more. Graysen watered the bushes.



We had a wonderful day, and the teenagers were great --- what a team!



Thank you Lynn and David for putting together a tool box for the hospice, what a great idea.

This was a great Amore day, for us volunteers and for the four legged clients. Thanks to all for making a difference. That's Amore!

See you soon again!

FOREVER OUR HOPE

Up on Mount Vesuvius, are there many strays and even more dumped dogs with collars, ear tattoos, or even microchip. Apparently, it is easy to go up there, open the door and kick out your best friend, the dog. And many times the people even do it during day light.

The place is full of hungry and sick dogs. The volunteers doesn't know where to start to help.

I read many cries for help on Facebook, and the pictures are many times simply heart-breaking. You can feel their pain and see it in their eyes. Once loved, now they are just one of the garbage bags.

Martina- helps me communicate with the Italian rescue people about what is many times a hard choice to make: "who to chose to help?" Martina and I seem to have the same thinking process. It is also nice to have someone else to share the pain of not being able to help more deserving souls (and the joy of success when it happens).

And so, last night we got one new client to our hospice Casa dell' Amore.

One of the cast-offs found on the volcano Vesuvius. She is very sick! Two ladies drove her to a veterinarian clinic where she had an examination and blood test done. She is suffering a high fever and a severe case of leishaminiosis. Her medicine prescription looks like Santa's Christmas wish list; but her true wish is only to be loved again and healthy.

Thanks to a wonderful family before moving from here, we got a nice big sofa in one of the rooms upstairs at the hospice. We put a warm blanket --- that someone had lovingly donated--- over the sofa and Martina brought up food and water that this little near skeleton ate with a good appetite. She is so tiny!

But we all love her so dearly, already. When you open the door to her room you can hear her tail go off at 50km/h. She is so petit, loving and only wants you to sit together with her and hold her. I don't know if my heart aches out of love or pain since I see what she has gone through.

We named her HOPE!

Thank you rescue ladies for giving her a voice on FB, thank you wonderful Martina for spending all the time on the phone with them, and making sure they came to our hospice. Your heart is so big and beautiful, every day it is a pleasure working together with you. And you never ask anything in return, never!

To all you who donate money or things to AWL, this is thanks to you that we can save and rescue and love the dogs. Without YOU we are nothing.
You are the Amore. Thank you.

MERLIN IS A BIG BOY

It doesn't feel that long a go when Todd and I went and picked them all eight up, plus mom and dad.
The wonderful family Phelps came and fell madly in love with Merlin. They spent many days at the hospice together with him and siblings. And then one day, they could bring him home.

The whole family adores Merlin, and he is having a wonderful family. That's Great Dane Amore!

AWL CASA DELL'AMORE OPEN UP FOR A NEW HEART

Our little big Joy arrived at the hospice this morning, and my heart melted right away. Those long ears, those big watery eyes, that grey face and long small legs.

Joy (Gioia in Italian) is about 14 years old, skinny but with a positive attitude.
She let all the dogs at the hospice smell her and then she started to smell around. What a good girl.
She is an old hunting dog that has been on a chain for many years. She has many cuts on her ears.
Found on the streets in the Napoli area among cars, lost and hungry.

Now she is with us. If someone wants to adopt her, a forever home only please, since she loves to cuddle and scratch those inner legs. She is a beautiful spirit, with a lot of fantastic manners.

She was shivering when Pio and Martina brought her in to Casa dell'Amore. I ran up to the office and took out a brand new dog coat for her. Perfect size!

AWL Sweden had sent down a package, I sent them a warm thought in thanks. That's warm Amore!

Again to my great animal team Martina and Pio. They are doing such a great team work. Francesca thank you for your heart with Joy. AWL supporters thank you for your donations we can open our door for these lost souls. Your donation is making a big difference. That's Amore.

BRUNO LONGHEART

Bruno, our beloved loving goof, has in a short time gone through so many people's hearts and still he is touching all of us who comes in his way.
We are very protective over our AWL dogs, and with Bruno it is even a little extra.

You can read about Bruno's journey via Tammy to AWL on earlier blogs, and now he has gotten a new owner--we hope--Both Bruno and James will go on a so called 2 week "trial period" together.

It is always difficult to adopt a 'stranger" and also for Bruno, James is a stranger whom we don't know much about, either. So both have to trust each other and do their best.

James, with his friends came out to the AWL Hospice last Sunday to meet Bruno.

James loved Bruno, there is something about Bruno Longheart!

James walked Bruno and he stayed by his side, he and his friends took him home. Some accidents have happened but James and friend Abbi takes it all with peace; they understand that Bruno has never been inside a home before. We suspect he is a former chained dog, it is very common here.

James and his friends do a lot of outdoor activities: hiking, camping, climbing and they love to bring their dogs with them. So I think Bruno will have a blast.

I spoke to James yesterday and he told me Bruno is a fast learner. What made me pleased was to hear that James and Abbi go home for lunch, taking him outside and playing. They have already gone through one soccer ball.

So how about Bruno donations? How about donating your football or soccer ball to the best player in the world. Bruno Longheart!

COSBY IS A BIG BOY

Another little chap has grown up at mom Wendy's home. One day....like this picture above..the next month...

In warm secure arms. My mom fell in love with me when she visited AWL Hospice where we stayed for a couple of months.

You never know what life will give you...do your best. I did and look at my gorgeous mom who adopted me from AWL rescue team/

That's Great Dane Amore!